Giles Norman, Ambassador of Canada to Serbia

Message

Canada shares with Serbia, North Macedonia and Montenegro a commitment to common goals and common values. As Ambassador of Canada, I am dedicated to deepening our bilateral relations including in pursuit of mutual prosperity and security, and the advancement of democratic values, human rights and social inclusion. 

The Embassy and I are pleased to work with the governments of Serbia, North Macedonia and Montenegro. We value strongly Canada’s cooperation with our partners in the business sector, civil society, the defence and security domain, and the educational and cultural spheres. The Western Balkans diaspora in Canada also plays an important role in strengthening our bilateral relations, and our people-to-people ties. 

Immigration from the region to Canada has been underway since the mid-nineteenth century, pre-dating the creation of modern Canada. Canada and the region were also united in a common struggle in World War I and World War II. Former Canadian Prime Minister Lester Pearson began his World War I military experience here in the Balkans on an Allied medical mission. 

Today, there are new avenues for cooperation. The Embassy has active commercial, defence, consular, political and public affairs programs. Our bilateral relations have strong potential for further development. Together with governments and our partners in Serbia, North Macedonia and Montenegro, we seek to strengthen mutual understanding and cooperation, including through growth in trade and investment. 

We strive to work with all of our partners to reinforce ties with Canada and support a bright future for the region. Thank you for your interest in our Embassy and in Canada.

Biography

Giles Norman (BA Hons, Lancaster University, 1990; LLB, Queen’s University, 1996) joined the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade in 1999 after being called to the Bar of the Law Society of Ontario in 1998. His overseas assignments include political officer in Ankara (2001 to 2004), political and trade counsellor in Colombo (2007 to 2009) and first-ever director of the Canadian International Centre for the Arctic Region in Oslo (2009 to 2012), where he also served as chargé d’affaires for 9 months. After Oslo, he was posted to New York City until 2016 as the counsellor (legal, human rights, humanitarian) and legal counsel at the Permanent Mission to the United Nations. At Headquarters, he has held a series of posts in the Legal Bureau and was deputy director of the Maghreb and Persian Gulf Division (2004 to 2007). Most recently, he was executive director of the Defence and Security Relations Division.